Da-ta-cul-ture (noun): the practice of planning, growing and maintaining data so it is lean and relevant.
In today’s fast-paced, data-centric world there is an assumption that all members of an organization understand and know how to work with data. The reality is that each member has different needs and goals when it comes to using data.
In my previous articles on dataculture I referenced how new technologies are evolving to help people view and use data. In this article I will elaborate on a model to address the diverse needs of the users in your restaurant operation. I am using the acronym V.I.E.W. as the word itself epitomizes what is needed to grow and use data within your organization, and you need to have an informed point of view to effectively manage your resources.
V = Visualize, I = Integrate, E = Evaluate, W = Wonder
VisualizeYou’ve probably already visualized the kind of foodservice organization you want to have, but have you visualized what it would look like if you had more specific information on your local market, who your customers could be, or more importantly why they would come back? Imagine being able to pull in data from all kinds of external sources, such as weather forecasts or local census data, to discover the things you didn’t know you didn’t know. Visualization helps business owners define problems that could benefit from the application of dataculture, brainstorming sources of data, and designing experiments to collect and analyze data in ways that are acceptable to customers, and create new value. Analytical tools, data-centric POS systems with integrated planning tools and powerful CRM (customer relationship management) programs are all solutions that can help you make this vision a reality without any resource or management burdens. |
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IntegrateYour menus, décor, advertising, team uniforms and promotions all serve to send a message to potential consumers, but which of these are most effectively integrated into the consumer’s view? For example, many restaurants spend money developing and offering gluten-free menu items without measuring to see if it has an impact on their core customers. The trick is to survey your customer base, filtering and combining responses with loyalty and transactional data to get a richer, more accurate picture, see which changes will make the most impact and test this with real data on a periodic basis. Integration also applies to how your staff can see the data and use it to provide consistent, exceptional service. There are many integration issues that need to be resolved to make the most of data. Legacy systems and incompatible standards and formats often prevent the integration of data and the application of the more sophisticated analytics that create value at each interaction point in the operation. EvaluateOf course with testing and surveys comes the inevitable evaluation. This means you will need some sort of data analytics tool to look at the same data in a variety of ways. Managers who see the same static style of reporting day in and day out can miss problems that a change in perspective would reveal. The ability to have different views of the same information is invaluable and often overlooked. WonderEven after many evaluations and implementing data-driven knowledge, successful business owners will likely wonder what else is possible. The next step in dataculture is a new type of “what if?” decision-making. Using controlled testing, companies can develop hypotheses and analyze results to guide investment decisions and operational changes. Experimentation can help managers distinguish causation from correlation and reduce the variability of outcomes while improving performance. Testing can take many forms including assessing the impact of variations in pricing, menus, restaurant designs, and training, among other things, on productivity and sales. Successful dataculture requires tools that enable different views of the same data and managing the multiple points of view of users and stakeholders. Your systems should have these abilities as they will make your task that much easier and the views much more interesting and useful. See also: About the author Don Gray is CEO of Givex Corporation, a global Information services and technology company offering clients cost-effective gift cards, omni-channel loyalty, analytics and cloud-based POS solutions. Givex helps small, medium and large merchants build, understand and effectively use their ever-expanding data. | ||
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